TWA, Departs the World’S Gers, Not Mail, Unlike Most Other Airlines Skies in Almost the Same Industry Envi- PART I in Those Days
rans World Airlines, with one of the month; copilots, $250. most recognized U.S. airline sym- TAT was developed to carry passen- bols, TWA, departs the world’s gers, not mail, unlike most other airlines skies in almost the same industry envi- PART I in those days. TAT’s transcontinental ronment in which it came into being— As TWA ended its 71 years of air/rail service would take passengers the end of an unfettered period of ex- cross-country in 2 days instead of 3, as pansion marked by consolidation of air- continuous operations, it was rail-only travel required. On the west- lines. Born of a 1930 merger, TWA had the United States’ longest to-east schedule, passengers would most of its assets purchased by Ameri- board a Ford Trimotor at Los Angeles can Airlines on April 9, 2001, to end flying air carrier. at 8:45 a.m. (PST), deplane at Clovis, TWA’s run as the longest-flying air car- N.M., at 6:54 p.m. (MST) for a night rail By Esperison Martinez, Jr. rier in U.S. commercial aviation. Still, trip to Waynoka, Okla., via the Topeka Contributing Editor its 71 years of flying millions of passen- & Santa Fe Railroad, followed by an 8- gers throughout the world, of record- hour 8-minute Trimotor flight to Colum- ing achievements that won’t be quickly bus, Ohio, then onto the Pennsylvania duplicated, of establishing sterling stan- manager of NAT, became TAT vice- Railroad to arrive in New York City the dards of operations, safety, and profes- president.
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